EP 2 196 107 B1 discloses a method for the manufacture of bristle fields for brushes, wherein clusters of bristles are filled into perforations of molds. In this method the bristles are fed to the mold in clusters by means of a gas stream or an air stream via individual feed lines. The gas stream or air stream is generated by means of negative pressure, wherein, during conveying thereof, the clusters of bristles are at least temporarily additionally impinged with a compressed gas, or with compressed air, acting in the conveying direction. Similar methods applying a negative pressure for generating the gas stream or air stream in a feed line for transporting bristles are known from EP 0 405 204 A1 and DE 10 2009 013 723 A1.
A common drawback of these known methods is that it is difficult to maintain the individual bristles as a cluster of bristles during the transport in the feed line. In more detail, applying a negative pressure in the feed line often results in separating the cluster of bristles into individual bristles which loose the defined orientation within the feed line such that it is not possible to insert the bristles as a cluster into perforations of molds. A known alternative avoiding this drawback comprises the additional step of fusing one end of the cluster of bristles, thereby fixing the bristles in the cluster. However, this alternative is time consuming and energy consuming such that the additional step of fusing the bristles to form a fixed cluster is undesired.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an improved method or apparatus for producing bristle fields for brushes, wherein bristles can be fed without fusing the bristles as a bundle or a cluster through a feed line.